Tropical storm leaves 31 dead in Philippines

MANILA, Philippines – Flash floods and landslides triggered by Tropical Storm Jangmi left at least 31 people dead and seven missing in the Philippines, including in areas still recovering from last year's Typhoon Haiyan, officials said Tuesday.

Jangmi, packing winds of 40 miles per hour and gusts of 50 mph, dumped heavy rains Monday on southern Mindanao Island, where floods destroyed bridges and highways, sending thousands of residents to evacuation centers. The storm then pushed its way through eastern and central islands, where most of the deaths occurred Tuesday.

The government weather bureau said that as of Tuesday afternoon, the eye of the storm was 67 miles southwest of central Iloilo City, moving west at 12 mph toward western Palawan Island.

Mayor Stephanie Uy-Tan said 12 people died when a landslide buried two vans and six houses near a mountainside highway in eastern Catbalogan City. She said voices could still be heard from one of the vans and that rescue efforts were ongoing.

Olive Luces, a regional civil defense official, said 10 members of a family died after a creek-side house where they had gathered was washed away by flash floods in central Cebu province. Three other people were missing in the same town.

In eastern Leyte province's Tanauan town, which was devastated last year by Typhoon Haiyan, army rescuers retrieved five bodies from a house buried by landslide.